


Nor Iron Bars A Cage

by Skyblaze



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Imprisonment, Starvation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-06
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2019-05-18 22:07:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14861153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyblaze/pseuds/Skyblaze
Summary: Inspired by the Sonic Forces trailer. Sonic is imprisoned by GUN after interfering in the war between GUN and Robotnik. Shadow and Rouge rescue him, and find that Sonic is not quite in the shape they expected.





	Nor Iron Bars A Cage

**Author's Note:**

> Notes: In which Skyblaze is a terrible person. Hashtag sorrynotsorry.

“I just wanted you to know,” The blond woman said as she unlocked the gate, the GUN emblem on her shoulder glinting faintly in the sullen yellow light, “I never agreed with any of this.” 

“I know, Topaz,” Rouge replied gently, “It’s ok. Thank you for this.” 

Topaz looked at her, then at the silent, grim-faced black hedgehog who stood behind her. “You realise that this is the point of no return, right? They’ll chase you to the ends of the planet after this.” 

“There’s no other choice.” Shadow said suddenly, his voice surprisingly soft, “GUN have gone too far with this. It has to stop. Now.”

“Shadow’s right.” Rouge shook her head, “Effectively declaring war on Robotnik was ridiculous even by GUN’s standards, but this...” she trailed off with another shake of her head. She sighed and looked at Topaz, “They’ll know you helped us. You’ll be in almost as much danger as we will.”

Topaz nodded wearily, “I know. It’s ok, I’ve got some bolt-holes, and contacts even GUN command don’t know about,” she forced a smile, “I guess all that conniving and sneaking of yours did rub off on me after all, Rouge.” 

Topaz handed Rouge a keycard and laid a gentle hand on the bat’s shoulder, “Good luck.” she said before she vanished off down the dimly-lit corridor.

Rouge opened the door and the both slipped inside. Rows of heavily barred metal doors stretched out in front of them. A computer terminal sat beside the door they had just entered. Rouge promptly swiped the keycard on the pad beside it and the screen lit up. 

“Do we know which cell he’s in?” Shadow asked. His eyes were carefully scanning the area, restless and wary. 

“Not yet,” She replied, tapping away at the keyboard, “But I’m willing to bet he isn’t in a standard cell.”

“Hm.” Shadow grunted and shifted, tensing. Something felt… off about this place in a way he couldn’t quite pin down. Perhaps it was memories of his own incarceration, or of Professor Gerald’s cell on Prison Island. Either way, it made him feel distinctly uneasy. 

“Got it.” Rouge said, rising from the terminal, “Cell 12A. Back corner.” 

“Lets go.” Shadow said, moving to follow as Rouge moved through the corridors. Most of the cells were empty – what GUN currently classed as ‘enemy’ these days tended to end up in a recycling centre instead of a prison cell. With some… notable… exceptions.

The door to Cell 12A looked different to the others. It was a slightly different colour, for one thing, a darker, duller grey compared to the burnished steel of the other doors. For another, it seemed to be thicker and heavier. Then again, it figured that GUN would have placed this particular prisoner in a reinforced cell. 

Rouge used the keycard again and typed a code. A green LED next to the keypad lit up and there was a hiss of air. Shadow frowned at the sound, it was almost like the hiss of air as an airlock was opened. Had GUN gone so far as to make this cell airtight? Why?

The moment shadow stepped inside the gloomy cell, he knew something was horribly, dreadfully wrong. The reason for his uneasiness became blindingly clear. This cell was Chaos-proof. Dread crawled up his spine as he moved through the cell towards the figure laying on the bed in the corner. 

Rouge gasped when she saw it. Shadow stiffened in horror. “Sonic...” Shadow breathed. 

Sonic the Hedgehog lay slumped on the bed, quills limp and in disarray. But that wasn’t what had wrung the gasp from Rouge. Sonic had always been lean, constant running would do that, but now he looked emaciated. His cheeks sunken, eyes dull and glazed, the blue of his quills faded. He moved, sluggishly, far removed from his usual speed and grace. 

“Hey, Shadow,” He croaked in a parody of his usual carefree tone, “Don’t suppose you brought chilli dogs, huh?” 

The woeful attempt at a joke fell flat as everything clicked into place in Shadow’s mind. Sonic’s metabolism – like his own – moved far too swiftly for anything like a normal diet to satisfy it normally. Sonic needed to absorb the ambient Chaos energy around him to supplement his food intake. With that supply of Chaos energy cut off by this damnable cell, and only standard prisoners rations to live on… he’d been literally starving. 

Shadow’s hands curled into fists as a sudden hot ball of rage swelled in his chest. It was only the sudden sensation of Rouge’s hand on his arm that broke him out of his furious thoughts of levelling the entire complex right down to its very foundations. 

“We need to get out of here.” she said urgently. Sonic stirred again, trying to push himself upright on limbs that were too shaky and weak to support him. 

Shadow moved without thinking, his rage banked into smouldering embers as it took a back seat for the moment to Shadow’s sudden need to help. He gathered Sonic up in his arms, ignoring the other hedgehog’s weak protests. 

“You better call Tails and get the plane in,” Shadow said grimly, “Our original plan isn’t going to work now.”

“Right.” Rouge said, having apparently regathered her wits after the shock of seeing Sonic. She took out a small communicator. “We should probably head up to the roof. It’ll be easiest to pick us up, there.”

“Tails?” Sonic said as he processed what was going on, almost slurring his words, “Where we goin’?” 

“Angel Island.” Shadow replied as he carried Sonic towards the cell door. 

As soon as they stepped out of the cell, Sonic suddenly went stiff in his arms and Shadow could feel the sudden rush of returning Chaos energy. It was too much for Sonic’s exhausted body, though, and his green eyes rolled back in his head as he passed out cold.


End file.
